The Internet comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks that are interconnected through communication links, with access to information being provided using various services such as electronic mail (“email”) and the World Wide Web (also referred to as the “Web”). In addition to providing access to information, the Web has increasingly become a medium that is used to search for, shop for and order items (such as products, services and/or information) that are for purchase, rent, lease, license, trade, evaluation, sampling, subscription to, etc. In many circumstances, a user can visit the Web site of a Web merchant (or a “Web store”) or otherwise interact with an online retailer or electronic marketplace that provides one or more items, such as to view information about the items, give an instruction to place an order for one or more items, and provide information needed to complete the purchase (e.g., payment and shipping information). The Web merchant then fulfills the order by providing the ordered items to the indicated recipient, such as by providing product items that have been ordered through physical distribution channels (e.g., shipment via a governmental postal service or private common carrier) or electronically (e.g., via download over the Internet, such as for digital music or videos) as appropriate. Ordered service items may similarly be provided electronically (e.g., providing email service) or physically (e.g., performing cleaning services at the purchaser's house).
Some Web sites have arisen that allow users to sell and purchase items to and from each other, such as DVD movies, audio CDs, or video games. A user will typically register to become a customer by entering personal information, such as the user's name, mailing address and payment information. Once registered, the customer can interact with other customers to provide or receive items. For example, a customer may be able to specify items that (s)he would like to receive from others and/or items that (s)he is willing to provide to others. When a match between two customers is made for a particular item, the customer who has the item provides it to the other customer who would like to receive it, typically based on some form of compensation given to the customer providing the item (e.g., monetary payment, “points” or other form of credit tracked by the Web site, etc.). Similarly, the customer who receives an item typically provides some form of compensation for receiving the item. Matches may be made automatically (e.g., by matching customers who would like to provide and receive the same item) or directly by the customers (e.g., by one of the customers searching for and identifying another customer with whom to participate in an item transaction). The operator of such a Web site may in some cases obtain revenue in various ways, such as by charging a fee for each item transaction, by charging a fee for membership, etc.
However, various problems exist with such Web sites for facilitating transactions involving items and users. One such problem results from frequent imbalances between demand and supply for at least certain types of items, resulting in significant customer dissatisfaction and loss of customer goodwill. For example, items that are new or otherwise highly popular will typically have demand that greatly exceeds supply, since few if any customers will have item copies that they are willing to provide to others. Such supply imbalances will typically prevent most customers who desire such an item from obtaining a copy in a timely manner (or at all). Another problem relates to attracting and retaining customers, such as due to difficulties in interacting with the Web site. For example, a new customer may need to enter large amounts of information in order to register for or effectively use such capabilities of such a Web site (e.g., to specify items that the customer is willing to provide and that the customer desires to obtain), but such information specification is typically burdensome. To specify items to be made available to others, for example, a customer may need to inventory his/her collection of items to identify appropriate items, and then manually enter a large amount of information for each item (e.g., an item name or title, data format, storage medium, condition, the number of copies of the item owned by the user, a photo, etc.). Faced with these problems, many potential customers may choose not to participate, thus potentially exacerbating the supply shortage problem described above, as those potential customers who have the most items to make available may be the least willing to participate in the burdensome item specification process.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide techniques to facilitate transactions involving items and users, as well as to provide other benefits.